


No Leash

by Dedicate Kiwicrocus (cranky__crocus)



Series: SMACKDOWN '11 Round Two - Team Discipline [24]
Category: Emelan - Tamora Pierce
Genre: F/F, Gen, Goldenlake, smackdown
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-02
Updated: 2011-06-02
Packaged: 2017-10-20 00:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/206963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cranky__crocus/pseuds/Dedicate%20Kiwicrocus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Surely Rosethorn isn’t that bad.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Leash

**Author's Note:**

> Written for SMACKDOWN at Goldenlake: fiefgoldenlake.proboards.com

“Surely Rosethorn isn’t _that_ bad.” Dedicate Salviaseer leaned into her seat—yellow habit bunching as she did so—and sighed. “I’ve met her a number of times with Crane—”

“Crane! She’s a bed-hopper, that’s what she is. Flouts around from sheet to sheet as if she’s not hurting anyone,” Dedicate Coralcane sniped, her habit as fiery as her words. “Crane would know best.”

            Lark frowned. The words were harsh to her ears as she finished climbing the stairs of the Hub. She had been dreading the inter-temple meeting before, but this was over the top.

            “That’s because she isn’t.” Lark strode into the room and took a seat next to Coralcane, turning to raise an eyebrow at the woman. “Unless you’ve decided that her actions are affecting _you_ , personally, of course…” She nodded to Salviaseer, who responded with a hybridised smile-grimace.

            “So you would say!” Coralcane growled, arms crossing over her chest. “She left Crane’s bed for yours.”

            “Actually, funny you should mention it, she left Crane’s bed for _herself_ ,” Lark responded evenly. Her gaze was hard. “And when she ventures back into it, she does it for herself  too. Though I can’t imagine Crane istoo bothered.”

            Dedicate Salviaseer snorted into her hand and busied herself with a scrying bowl, sprinkling it with verdant leaves.

            Coralcane gaped. “So she’s with you _and_ she beds him?”

            “And now _I’m_ the martyred one!” Lark exclaimed, close to laughter. “I see how this works. No-one wins, Rosethorn loses.”

            “She wouldn’t lose if she showed some _scruples_.”

            “She has plenty of scruples, dear—enough that if she took such issue with you, she’d be next to me telling you herself.”

            “Why does she have to, if she has you on a vine-leash?” Coralcane jeered, eyes narrow and glinting with rage.

            Lark’s lips curved up into a sarcastic smile. “Someone sounds jealous.”

            “Certainly not of you!”

            “Then perhaps of her…?” Lark’s eyebrows rose; she winked. Coralcane opened and closed her mouth, hopelessly lost for words. “And, for your flame-books, you might find it interesting to note that Rosethorn has no more leashed me than I have her.”

            Coralcane’s eyes widened. “So you could…?”

            “Jump Crane myself?” Lark’s eyes danced. “I could—if he were my sort.”

            Another snort from Salviaseer; she cursed the ripples it scattered around her bowl and gave up her futile distraction. She caught Lark’s eye but spoke to Coral. “Or she could go for me.”

            Coralcane looked between the two dedicates surrounding her, turning back and forth twice, before standing. “Clearly we are not in accordance with what dedication means.”

            Salviaseer glanced up. “I think you’ll find Lark is _extremely_ dedicated. And we mean no harm, Coral, reign in that temper of yours—need I remind you that you _like_ Lark?”

            “I thought I did.” The woman turned to look at Lark, gaze so close to softening. “But what you’re doing…”

            “Habits,” Salviaseer interrupted, gesturing between the three of them, “do not make the person. Please sit down, Coralcane. You would protect a loved one too.”

            The woman sat with a sigh. She turned to Lark. “I’m sorry. You and your…arrangement with Rosethorn is none of my concern.”

            “No it’s not,” Lark agreed, but her voice was soft. “You’re forgiven, and thank you.”

            When Coralcane sat close throughout the meeting and closer yet after the break, Lark couldn’t help but wonder if she had been correct to mark the jealousy in Coral’s presence. She smiled. She still had it, then. And Rosethorn wouldn’t mind hearing the story in the evening; she did love to know when she drove people crazy.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! :D


End file.
